Preferential on-tumor expression of sticky interleukin-12 for safe local and systemic cancer immunotherapy

• Project/Area Number: 23K11841
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90110:Biomedical engineering-related
• Research Institution: Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion Innovation Center of NanoMedicine
• Principal Investigator: ディリサラ アンジャネユル 公益財団法人川崎市産業振興財団(ナノ医療イノベーションセンター), ナノ医療イノベーションセンター, 主任研究員 (70794353)
• Project Period (FY): 2023-04-01 – 2026-03-31
• Project Status: Granted (Fiscal Year 2023)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000); Fiscal Year 2025: ¥520,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥120,000); Fiscal Year 2024: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000); Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: Interleukin-12 / Messenger RNA / Lipid nanoparticle

Outline of Research at the Start

This study aims to (i) avoid off-target liver expression and prolong intratumoral retention of IL-12, (ii) identify predominantly transfected cell fractions in the liver and tumor upon mRNA-LNP treatment before and after PEG coating, (iii) exploit tumor-selective IL-12-lumican in synergy with ICPI therapies to develop a cure for intractable superficial (e.g., melanoma) and deep (e.g., pancreatic cancer) cold solid tumors without systemic toxicity.